Fatal Fire Victim Recovery & Interpretation

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Fire scenes that include human victims in the rubble, hereafter termed the fatal-fire scene , provide some of the most difficult investigative challenges for fire responders, investigators, forensic experts, and law-enforcement agents. Fatal-fire scenes are often much more complex than other outdoor crime scenes not only because the body and individual skeletal elements are significantly modified by fire, but also because the entire surrounding contextual environment is likewise dramatically modified. Thermal modifications result in a homogeneous coloration of the human remains and surrounding matrix, making it difficult to distinguish the body and burned skeletal elements from the surrounding substrate debris. These circumstances increase the chance of missing some of the burned and fragmented remains during the typical forensic processing of the scene. If not detected, skeletal remains may be trampled upon during the recovery process or left behind at the scene. Added to these considerations is the fact that fire suppression and extinguishing efforts by firefighters often involve spraying the scene with water under high pressure, which typically results in dispersed and further fragmented biological remains. All of these issues adversely influence subsequent investigative efforts.

This course will prepare firefighter professionals to be acutely aware of evidence and scene preservation while simultaneously combating the active fire threat.